Sam's Worst Weekend
by MeowthTwo
Summary: Mikaela is kidnapped by Barricade without human help and Starscream gets in on the act too. In celebration of the Recon toys, marked like our Metropolitan Police cars.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

-1Something's Happened to Mikaela

Disclaimer: Transformers belong to Hasbro, I'm just playing in their sandbox for a bit.

Dedication: To the 7 killed in car suicide bombs over Christmas and Boxing day, including President Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, who stood up for Democracy.

Pairings: Sam and Mikaela

Summary: Mikaela is kidnapped by someone who wants to split her up from Sam, and Starscream gets in on the act too.

In celebration of the Recon toys, marked like our Metropolitan Police cars.

Mikaela arrived at the bottom of her steps. It was 7.28 p.m. she noted on her cuffed watch and she was going out with Sam at 7.30.

It was pouring with rain and she was glad she had a mid-blue waterproof Goretex lined windbreaker jacket on and a navy blue sweat jacket.

She wandered along the sidewalk to the main road. She didn't like doing this, he wasn't really late yet, but she felt impatient.

A grey shape loomed up behind her out of the rain, with a big blue badge on it.

Oh no, it was happening again. She was being pulled in. Her eyes narrowed and her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Surely they hadn't found another fixed-up stolen car.

The window slid down and the officer inside put an arm on it. He spoke in a pleasant voice.

"Hi Ma'am, I believe you can help us, I'm investigating the case of a stolen car that has been taken to the police pound. Are you Mikaela Banes, daughter of Colin Banes?" Her eyes widened with emotion. This one knew her name, and her Dad's.

"Yeah."

"As it's smashed up, the owner has decided not to pursue the case.

"I've come to speak to you about your father. His parole board sits in 90 days, should be a forgone conclusion, you seem to have friends in high places. Wanna see your juvy record and his wiped out in two keystrokes on the police computer?"

It seemed unimaginable, but it had been asked for and with what she'd seen in the last few months it was not impossible.

"O.K. but make it quick, I've only got two minutes."

The voice changed, becoming harsh and inhuman, as the car door shot open:

"_Get in the car!"_

Recognizing the voice, her eyes widened in fear and she began to sweat.

She had no choice, for it mounted the sidewalk, blocking her into the cul-de-sac. She began running along the sidewalk. He edged forward to the side of her building.

"I said _Get in the car!"_

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam came up to the table where she was with 3 girlfriends and Trent. It was Saturday, it was sunny, she wore her little denim skirt and a loose half unzipped short sleeved white jacket with black piping down the front.

"Where were you last night Mikaela?"

"I was there at 8.00 pm."

"You said 7.30."

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Anyway, I was there and you weren't!"

"I arrived on time, drove around looking, and you weren't there. It was pouring with rain."

"Yeah, you think I'd hang around long in the rain waiting for you? In O. K. Corral here?"

"I even went up your steps and asked your Mom where you were. She said you'd gone out."

"Yes, well someone else came along."

"Someone else? We were meant to be going out to _dinner_!"

"Well, I decided to go to a party instead. With someone who was _there! _ Who understands what it's like to live in a dangerous area and not always stick to times! Someone who likes parties rather than candlelight dinners! Someone who's had to work and save and not lead such a dangerous lifestyle, and not look so stupid in public!"

"_Surely you don't mean him?" _ He pointed at Trent who was wearing his big annoying smile.

"Why shouldn't I? Sam Witwicky, you are so dumped!"


	2. Chapter 2

-1Chapter 2 Barricade.

Sam looked down. Then he brought his head up, forcing his eyes, which wanted to close, to open wide with feeling as he looked at her.

"O.K.," he said levelly, "But I'm not the only one you're running out on." He paused, looked down, then added guardedly "D'you wanna ride - can I take you home?"

She wiped her hair back from her eyes. "No." She was still looking at him - she bit her lip but still smiled defiantly. Was she going to laugh?

"There's still a CD of yours in the stereo."

"O.K., just for old time's sake you can take me home. But you won't persuade me to change my mind."

She stepped into the car. The door closed.

"Neither of you."

"O. K. They don't take sides. Do you Bumblebee?"

There was silence except for the car engine starting up. Then:

"I will always protect you whatever your decision, Mikaela," said Bumblebee. "You are both my friends. I hate seeing my friends argue. This is the Pit."

"Yes, well let's hear this CD then." She did look down now.

He played it. It was "Before it's too late." It made both of them feel awkward.

Still, at the end of the journey, Mikaela took the CD out, set her face hard, and marched to the top of her steps. Sam got out and saw her there. She did not even say goodbye.

He came down listlessly, his feet feeling like lead, Bumblebee opened the door, he sat down in the driver's seat. The car did not move, however. There was silence.

"What's got into her?" asked Bumblebee.

"It's not right, it's not like her." Sam said flatly and bleakly.

"If she wanted to end it, she wouldn't do it out here in front of others. Surely she would talk to me, after all we've been through, or use the phone or _something_." Sam said. "This feels staged." Miles would have said that he'd been right about her all along, she was just an evil jock concubine, and he'd _seen her _dump someone in the homeroom, before the teacher came in: but he'd thought they had something better than that. "She's deeper than this, don't you think?"

"I agree," said Bumblebee. "I'm not Ratchet, but she was hurting, and I don't mean at you. My scans indicate physically as well as mentally."

"Why didn't you let me know?" Sam asked, his eyes widening in sudden hope, then narrowing again in anger.

"If she did not want you to know, Sam, I couldn't give her away.

_Something's up with her._"

Sam's voice went tight. "Or someone. Trent?"

"It's not Trent. She hates and despises him" said Bumblebee.

"Then who? Or what? Bumblebee wait here!" He shot out before the doors clicked shut. The keys still hung in the dash, swinging slightly.

"No Sam!" came stage-whispered through the car window, a hint of panic in the mechanical voice. "Not _here!_"

"Then call for help!" Sam whispered back fiercely, pain, anger and despair warring within him. "Call Ratchet, I'm sure he'll be intrigued! I want to see if she'll come out for _you_ if not for _me!_

_I'll just wait round the block here!" _ The last bit came out in a husky hiss as he hid round the corner.

Bumblebee complied just with an alert blip on the comm. With no overt threat, Ratchet would want to know what was going on, and at the moment he only had a sense of unease. He hoped what Sam wanted to happen would not take long. He could not recharge here, not even for an hour - he would be up on blocks when he woke up!

It was the kind of neighbourhood where no-one walked anywhere, unless they had to. He scanned for any form of life approaching within 2 metres - Sam was about that far away- and 5 km for him, as he'd had to when parked up on his own, for any kind of threat.

He'd give it 15 minutes, then he'd try to get Sam to come in again.

Luckily he did not have to wait that long. Mikaela came down the steps 2 at a time, tapped the door, shot in and grabbed the keys.

"Mikaela, No! What's up?" said Bumblebee.

The lock trick beat the human senses this time, and it wasn't just central locking. When Sam charged up to the other door it opened.

Mikaela's remained shut, although she threw her weight on it and her head against the window. It chinked, bone on glass.

"I 'm sorry" said Bumblebee. He would protect her one last time.

When the situation was safe and she'd calmed down, she could be free.

"Look Mikaela," said Sam. "I'm not gonna stalk you, you can walk away from the car forever now, or we can work something out, but please tell me, with no-one looking, why we're through."

He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" She shied away, angry, shaking.

Unable to hold anything else, he held onto Bee's passenger seat. As usual, that comforting sense of warmth came through it for him.

She turned round. A red welt showed on her hairline.

Sam looked at the keys in her hand.

"Please tell me you're not betraying us _both!_."

"Sam, how could you leave Bumblebee like that, this area's _evil, _he could have been stolen, sliced and diced, cut and shunted and sold on in a couple of _hours!" _Mikaela burst out angrily, her smouldering eyes tight, her hands balled into fists.

" I don't think so," said Bumblebee.

"I was trusting _both_ your reactions!" said Sam.

She gave him the keys. Now her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Sam, he'll kill you!"

"Who -Trent?"

"Will you stop talking about dang Trent! He is _irrelevant._ So is every man on the planet!"

"Oh, so we're talking Decepticons here!" He tapped the car seat.

'Right!' thought Bumblebee, and put Ratchet on Speaker.

"Am I right in thinking by _he _you mean a police car with red eyes, big teeth and no manners?"

"Barricade?" said Bumblebee. "He is _not _ going to kill Sam. And if you wanted me to fight him in protection you need not have bothered to try to steal my keys, just ask!"

"I had to bring these" -she pointed to the keys - "and no-one had to call for help or anything-

"Oh, it's too late for that, that's been done," said Bumblebee.

"Oh no!" She put a hand to her head and closed her eyes.

"Get moving, Bee, and don't go the regular route, we might be chased!"

"O. K., seat belts _on_, you two!"

Sam tapped the steering wheel, lightly, twice, though he did not need to. They set off with a squeal of breaks, dodging into a side street as soon as possible. If Sam had been in his own drive curtains would have flickered as the neighbours looked but here nothing moved at any window, somebody making a quick getaway must've been such a normal noise.

"Good for you Mikaela, I _knew_ you still loved Sam!" said Bumblebee.

"Too much! Trouble is, he' s not the only one!"

"I take it you don't mean just Frenzy?"

"He came naturally along with Barricade, that was a forgone conclusion."

Sam thought. There was only one other Decepticon left alive he could think of. His eyes widened.

"Bee, can you make for the nearest cover available?" he said urgently.

Bumblebee's response was to speed up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Starscream

"Now are we talking big flying robot with the power shoulders? Likes standing on top of buildings? Sidekick to Megatron?"hissed Sam.

"He goes by the name of _Starscream!__"_supplied Bumblebee, talking in a gritty lips-pressed-together voice through his VPU while dodging in and out of the traffic extremely fast.

"They were _both _getting at you?" asked Sam, putting his face close to Mikaela's so she could hear him above the roar of the engine, trying to sound caring in spite of his anger and distress- it was all he could do at this speed.

"No, just Barricade and Frenzy but _can we hold hands_!"

She was holding the seat with one but this was an improvement on "Don't touch me" and Sam gladly obliged, grabbing her nearest hand with both his and putting the keys in their usual slot.

"Barricade took me by surprise earlier. He took me to a deserted part of the multi-storey car park down town. He has a new grey form that's hard to see in the dark, and Frenzy' s got a new blue body. Frenzy was scratching me with his information probe spike and claws. They ruined my jeans and wet weather gear. He said S-Starscream was _coming back to make you pay_. He did not need to transform but he did, when there was no-one around to notice. B-Barricade held me up close to his face and said he was going to make you pay for the D-Decepticons humiliating defeat and the loss of the All Spark. He said if I brought him Bumblebee and told no-one else he would not _kill you or our families!__"_The last bit came out at a rush from wide blue eyes that blinked rapidly, tears came coursing down her cheeks.

"No, I'd probably just _wish_ he'd kill me! And you were prepared to do this?" Sam growled angrily.

Mikaela's face went red then white. "Sam he's a better fighter than us, bigger at least.!"

"Sam, she has got a point" said Bumblebee. "I'll get those two back!"

"And I thought there might just be a chance the Air force might spot Starscream coming back and shoot him down. Or the others might find us somehow. I-I would never have betrayed you voluntarily Bee!" She caressed the steering wheel as it stayed still for once as they streaked down a bit of straight road.

"It's all right Mikaela, I know what he's like, I've felt his claws and those hands!" Bumblebee did not mind, she was not driving.

"Unluckily for him, I don't _squish _so well!" he added angrily.

"Frenzy was climbing up and thrusting his spike down my top by this time. Barricade had to call him off. I-I threw up over him-not both of them though I'd have liked to. He didn't like that. He dropped me, luckily I fell on a shop awning, he transformed, let me go back in my house to change." She was now wearing her short denim skirt. "S'good thing I can get into my room without Mum seeing me. We found a party and I joined Trent and my girlfriends."

"They didn't think it strange that you were brought in by a police car?"

"They're kinda used to it now. We hit the café later. That's where you found me. I was rather glad you did- But I had to do that just then, I didn't want to put you in danger."

"We're in danger now. So you mean it's not over?"

"No! I'm sorry. Please take me back?"

"You're on!" Sam dared to kiss the inside of her arm and found scratches there. He held her shoulder.

"Hey did Frenzy do that? Where else?"

"About everywhere you can't see. You can see my legs."

He could. They were covered with scratches.

"No-one noticed at the party." She said sadly.

"No, you'd have to be majorly scarred for that big ape to notice !" growled Sam.

"It was dark. My legs were under the table in the café."

By now they were approaching the tunnel where Bumblebee had changed from a '76 Chevy Camaro to a 2008 Concept Camaro. And not a moment too soon.

He could hear the noise of an aircraft engine and there were flashes at the top of the tunnel as he went in.

"Oh little Autobot" came a creamy cruel voice over the radio "we can do this one of _two_ ways. Way One: My loyal fellow Decepticon:"

Sam rolled his eyes at this and Bumblebee blew a mechanical raspberry_- is at the other end of this tunnel and can start fragging up the traffic and I can drop bombs on this end and _you _and a lot more _fleshies will die. _Way two : You can come out_, with your charges, that__'__s compulsory, _and come with us to the waste disposal area where you had your first battle, where we can have some fun with you. Which way things are going to happen is entirely up to _you.__"_

There really was no contest. Cars were squealing away from the other end of the tunnel anyway, so Barricade was likely to be blocking it off ready to transform. They heard a crash, a tinkle of glass some road rage and a blaring of horns which suggested an accident and the start of a traffic jam.

"O-kay. Way two." Bumblebee reluctantly agreed.

"Then turn round and come out again, my little custard torpedo."

There was only one way to do this in the tunnel, and he'd done it before, but not loaded. "Seat belts? Hold on tight!" he said to them and then climbed up the wall, turned upside down-the kids screamed- and came down on a bit of free road going away from the tunnel.

Barricade came through the tunnel as an escort and it would have looked to the untrained human eye like a normal police chase as Starscream rose up higher, but more than human eyes had seen the flashes on the tunnel roof and known what they were. No-one noticed an extra ambulance at the accident although it was strange that the first police car had sped off. It was normal for a Saturday night. Ratchet had followed up Bumblebee's call.

In the meantime, from a place where they could see the yellow scout, scrambling signals for safety, Ironhide and Optimus watched in robot form, hiding in an alley, a deserted one except for some cats washing themselves on trashcans, two dogs and a wino asleep on a heap of rubbish.

"Can't move in yet. I wish we had fliers." said Ironhide.

"They are coming. There must be an opening soon," said Optimus.

The wino woke up, saw, looked at his bottle, had some more and threw it away where it crashed. They transformed back into vehicles and the dogs barked and chased them to bite their tyres. The cats just looked and then went on washing themselves on the cans, then leapt to the top of a wall and vocalized loudly. Cats do not need an All Spark: they have life figured.

OOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oO oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

They arrived at the dump- just for bloody mindedness Barricade took them through the way he'd first chased Sam to show Starscream the old warehouse building and the multi-storey car park. They were at the dump though because it was the most convenient place for a landing as well as a fight.

At first Bumblebee refused to open up on command, but Barricade picked him up and shook him over his head like a big can of fruit.

"I can do it the tandoori style squishy way if you wish," said Starscream transforming and pointing his cannon.

"At least we'd die together" called Sam from inside. Mikaela nodded.

"Deprive him of some satisfaction!"

"Nooo, get out and run!" said Bumblebee opening his doors as Barricade put them down, not wanting to be roasted along with them. He transformed, and Sam and Mikaela did run, but both were caught by Starscream, one in each hand. Bumblebee grabbed Barricade and kicked him where it hurt, which is similar on a robot to a human.

"Desist! Or it will be worse for them!" cried Starscream, so he returned to being a car to be less threatening. Sam and Mikaela screamed.

"Hey, you've got two squishies, it's not fair, give me one!" growled Barricade.

Frenzy charged up to Bumblebee but swarmed up Starscream's leg, intent on grabbing Sam: Bumblebee could not resist charging at him at him and hit Starscream's leg.

"Oww! You can deal with that little ankle snapper and I might let you have one! Hm, now where do your families live?" he scanned the horizon with his ruby optics.

"Barricade said you would not hurt them! That was the deal!" cried Mikaela indignantly.

"He had no authority to do that! And I could still wreck their houses!" laughed Starscream.

"Little female ssquishies are ssooo trusting. You believed me ? You trust _us Decepticons?__"_Barricade joined in.

"I mean to level this town!" boasted Starscream, an evil light glinting in his optics beyond the barred shutters. "And Mission City. They only remind me of defeat! And the Hoover Dam - though that shut up Megatron for over a hundred of your years, more than a vorn. So perhaps not. You did me a favour, meat sack - I always wanted to lead the Decepticons. And now I do. Thankss to you!" He studied Sam carefully.

Bumblebee was glad to have been given permission to fight again, as Barricade had been told to kill him, and he wasn't just going to stay still for that, he transformed, dodged and shot to damage Frenzy who was still trying to climb up Starscream's leg.

Starscream did not like him climbing his leg. Well, rusted rivets, perhaps he'd better leave the bigger robot to deal with him. Barricade had been directed at him and he was coming- he dodged again and got a cannon shot in before a hand got on him. The hand made contact with Starscream's leg instead.

Starscream, although a great acrobat in the air, was not good at keeping his balance on the ground with a battle going on around his feet. He whirled his hands around in windmill circles and growled menacingly.

"I'm going to sstart ssqueezing!" There was an ominous crack of bone as two of Sam's ribs gave way and he cried out.

"No! Sam!" Bumblebee spared him a glance upwards in the battle, just quickly, because they were not up against Sector 7 now, with their ropes and ice-guns, but 3 ruthless Decepticons, and the squeezing would go on for Sam whether he fought back or not. He rolled over and threw Barricade off.

Gasping, Sam realised he would need new pants. Starscream threw Frenzy off almost unintentionally as he had got onto the arm with Sam and was unbalancing Starscream in a frustrating way: he went flying off, it was quite a long drop and something exploded in his body as he landed. Barricade cried out and ran over to where his little partner lay still.

"Starscream, you'll be in trouble with Soundwave as well as me over this!" he growled.

"Now, girls are supposed to withstand G-force better than boys," said Starscream, ignoring this insubordination for the moment an addressing Mikaela. "How about I take you for a flight, fleshling femme?" He looked down at the groundling mech who had called his attention.

"You can have this one, lackey, he's leaking disgustingly." He dropped Sam, who was dripping bodily fluids.

Barricade did not seem to want him like that. Bumblebee didn't mind. He caught Sam instead. Barricade rushed at Starscream but he'd already put Mikaela down and transformed.

"Get in!" he commanded. The dark canopy lifted.

Mikaela did not want to. She had never flown before, but her senses told her that to get in was better than to face an angry charging Barricade, who was leaking energon and dropping bits of plating because Bumblebee had shot him at close range. Besides, Starscream could still bomb her family and friends if she disobeyed.

She climbed in and they took off. Barricade threw Bumblebee again in frustration, he'd just had time to put Sam in a half -wrecked car for safety before he went flying.

It didn't last long though. Starscream liked doing somersaults and figures of eight and wing over wing manoeuvres, and Mikaela had been to a party the night before. Even though she had not been able to eat and drink that much there, the inevitable happened and she felt it rising back up to her throat from the shock.

_'Throwing up in a small cabin at speeds near Mach 3 is likely much worse than on an airliner in tourist class where you can remain upright and use a sick-bag,'_ she thought, and she already knew this being got angry if you leaked, but she was just gonna have to do it inside him.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oO oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"The Air force are ready." Will told Ironhide.

"Not yet, Will, he's still got Mikaela!"

"I'll see if I c'n get them to hold back."

"I think this is where we go in" said Optimus, transforming.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oO oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oO oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"That's disgusting, all over my cockpit, get out you little piece of filth, I don't know why I ever came to this execrable little planet!" Starscream screamed, transforming and throwing her out. Mikaela did not have a parachute, but Bumblebee caught her with a catch a baseball player would be proud of and put them both behind him, pointing his cannon up.

"Pick on someone your own size, Starscream! Take that !"

Optimus came in and thumped Starscream. Ironhide fired his cannons, the Air Force had arrived. Starscream transformed and flew off, calling "Decepticons -Retreat! I'll be back!"

But Barricade stayed still holding Frenzy.

Ratchet transformed and went over to him as the worst injured.

"Let me take him- he's alive, he's going to be all right, I can fix his diodes and transistors, I've got several spares," He said "Now just stay still and let me fix those wounds…" He staring doing triage, and Will joined in.

Optimus went over to Bumblebee and Sam and Mikaela. Bumblebee hugged him. He was standing guard over Sam though, optics flashing angrily even though he was hurt himself, and Will was binding up Sam's ribs with his field First Aid kit.

"Oh Sam I'm sorry" said Mikaela hugging him gently.

'**I'm not' **thought Sam, '**Not about this bit anyway'.**

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo OOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo OOo oOo oOo

"I wouldn't hang out with this Starscream guy any more if I were you, Sam, we might have to sue his parents," said his Mom, when they ended up back at the Autobot base.

"I think it's more serious than that, its part of our national defence" said his Dad. "and I guess you can't help being involved in it, I'm just glad you've got such good friends."

Optimus offered to give them a tour of the Autobot's secret base.

"We have a Recreation room just across the corridor, and there's a small unit for patients' families attached to the Med-bay. My office is down the end to the right, and to the left are the crew quarters, Bumblebee's room's down there if Sam wants to go in it."

Ron and Judy followed him out. "There is a storeroom and Ironhide's armoury and weaponry range and outside there's a hangar."

Sam and Mikaela had to stay at the Autobot base for a week. Their next weekend date happily gave them more time to devote to each other.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 

The date. (with ideas I worked on with LittleMewlugia together)

As Sam and Mikaela were in Ratchet's Med-bay they could not really plan or book their next date, so their friends at the Autobot base decided to make it the best date they ever had for them.

"Could you play us some music, Jazz?" commed Bumblebee - he was in the Medbay too as his injuries would take more than a day to self repair.

"Sho' thing" said Jazz, online to general intercom which at that time meant him, Bumblebee and Ratchet, "I'll get out my best tunes and start jamming!"

"Put some romantic music in there," said Ratchet, "they won't want all loud noisy stuff."

"Trust me, I'll put in some of the ol' smooch stuff," said Jazz.

The Twins had just recently arrived, and wanted in on the com conference conversation. Sunstreaker said: "We'll do a dance for them, I've seen a video on the internet of a gypsy dance and a violin played at a date, you can be the femme, Sides, I'll lead."

"Why can't I take the lead?" said Sideswipe. "You be the femme you're supposed to be the 'pretty boy,'."

"Oh don't worry," said Cliffjumper, "I'll do a dance for Sam and Mikaela with Bumblebee, we're red and yellow."

"Bumblebee might want to be a bit more involved with Sam for this," said Hound, coming in too, "he's just saved him and Mikaela from Starscream."

"No, we'll do it," said Sides, "I can con parachutes off Epps for flowing bits."

"And I'll use my charm on Mrs Witwicky for a rose" said Sunny, "for between my teeth."

"I think I'd better be there, I'm better at talking to people," said Sides, "we might get a rose each."

"Ok, I'll draw up the costumes then," said Sunny, "for both of us."

"I'll recite a funny monologue," said Bluestreak, who had landed last night too and just recharged, "I'm not _always_ boring, you'll see."

"I'll get the pizzas and soda, I know what Sam likes," said Ironhide.

Cliffjumper took Sam and Mikaela out to watch the sunset.

"It's an Autobot sunset," he said, "The clouds are blue on top and red on the bottom. You get lovely sunsets on this planet with pink and orange and yellow too, all the colours of energon. Sometimes you get a Decepticon sunset, greenish on top with purple clouds, but they're rarer."

Then Bumblebee came out and took them to the Rec. room as a Camaro.

They had a nice date under the stars.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Incident of International Concern.

Dedicated to Anna whose daughter died in Iraq.

"Oh, no, its happened again!" Sam was back home again, and looking out of his bedroom window, but now he knew two things to do if Bumblebee disappeared quietly, in the dark before calling the police or even racing off on his bike.

He got out his cell phone, brought up the memory and scrolled down to the 'O's. Was it too obvious there? Perhaps he ought to file it under "Da Boss." Mind you, it was such an unusual name people would think it was a joke anyway.

Optimus answered promptly. "What's up, Sam?"

"Bumblebee's gone, did you call him?"

"No, there's been no callouts. Try Mikaela."

"I was just about to," he pressed out then scrolled up to the 'M's, and called her.

"Did you call Bumblebee? He's gone off."

"Probably Official Business."

"No, they didn't call."

"I'm on my way."

'Probably on her little Vespa.' He thought. She looked sexy on that.

But his mind shot back to their first battle together. He had been given a replacement bike too and he jumped on it and took off on the way to town.

No sign. Which way would he go?

The cell phone vibrated in the pocket of his Levi's.

He backpedalled to the kerb, mounted it, hung onto a handy tree and got it out to his ear again.

"Yes? Who's this?"

"Prime here again Sam, any luck?"

"No, he's not with Mikaela either, and I don't think he's trawling the mall."

"We may have a lead. Would you return home? I am sending Ratchet to pick you up. Try to get some sleep. Possibly Ironhide will meet you."

"Don't send Ratchet, I'm O.K," said Sam "Keep searching if you've found a lead." He made his way back home.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

The thing was, this time it was not evening, but nearer morning, though it was still dark. In the Lennox's farmhouse Will was already up feeding his little daughter Annabel Breakfast from her red aeroplane spoon.

"Daddy to Annabel, number 2 spoon at 10 0' clock coming in, open wide" - she opened her mouth obediently and closed it on the spoon, spraying oatmeal and yellow half-digested cereal everywhere.

"Will?"

"Huh ? Danggit!"

"Will?!" Ironhide's call came again, "Can you come? Bumblebee's missing. It'd be good to have you along with us."

A CNN reporter on the TV breakfast news was saying:

"There has been an uprise in terrorist activities over the holidays with a spate of car suicide bombings in Iraq…"

"Sorry Sarah I've had a callout, can you finish this," he said handing over the jar and spoon, "Keep the sheets warm!"

"I always do!" Sara kissed him good bye and soothed Annabel who had started crying. Will kissed her good bye too and grabbed his kitbag. Already in uniform he ran out of the farmhouse jumped in Ironhide and was off.

oOo oO oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Ironhide arrived in a normal drive as the sun was rising. Will got out and knocked at a door with roses round it. Judy Witwicky answered it.

"Sorry Ma'am, is Sam at home?" said Will.

"You know my Sam?" Said Judy, smiling with a mother's pride.

"I'm Captain Will Lennox of Special Ops Command, we were at Mission city together."

"Oh yes I remember hearing about it, is something going on then?"

"No, well, if it was I'm sure Uncle Sam would call us out in force to protect the upstanding citizens of this town, but there should be nothing to worry about at the moment. It's just something may be -up, and I have to speak to Sam about it. We're checking on flood defenses- earthquake-heck, it's a disappearance, there's no secret and he'll be safe with us."

"Okay I'll call him, Sam! There's someone from the army here to speak to you!"

"And while I'm here, ma'am, would you like to buy a draw ticket for the forces benefit ball? Concert tickets and other prizes to be won…" He was glad Sarah had slipped these into his trouser pocket, they always put people at their ease.

"Oh wow , me going to a ball like Cinderella!"

"Well I'm sure ma'am, you won't need a fairy godmother's ball gown, you'll knock 'em dead before midnight!"

"Oh you flatterer! Ron, where's my purse?"

Sam who had seen who it was from his bedroom window came

running down the stairs, he'd stayed dressed and almost rushed out to talk to Ironhide without bothering to say "Hi" to Will and his Mom had to call him back to remind him, and he had to be polite and pretend to show interest in the tickets before going out to talk to the Topkick SUV and try to hope his parents would not notice that his car was not there.

"I suppose the rest of your patrol is in there" said Judy waving at the Topkick.

"Yeah, sure," said Will. For the moment, Ironhide definitely counted as "the rest of his patrol."

Ironhide detected the movement and sounded his horn, he'd had to do this to reassure Sara.

"Let's just go and check up with them, we won't be long," said Will, taking Sam's shoulder and leaving Ron and Judy with a social event to discuss.

They went down the drive to Ironhide and jumped in -for Sam it was a scramble, for Will a practised jump. As Sam was younger though, he got in first and ended up in the driver's seat. It didn't matter, because Ironhide would drive them anywhere they needed to go but it gave Will a strange feeling, till he realised Sam needed something to hold on to at this moment , and when you've lost a car a steering wheel is a good thing to hold on to, especially when you know it's powered by a similar sentience. They moved off.

"Hi Sam, the others'll be here soon said Ironhide , "We'll go out to the lookout and see if we can spot him nearby."

"Optimus said you had a lead," said Sam.

"Yuh, well not much we can track, something or someone is out there jamming the signal. We had a transmission. I'll play it back for you."

There was a burst of squeaks and whistles and radio static, cut off.

"Translation? That's him I know his voice it even in Cybertronian."

Sam gripped the wheel and put his head down on it, visions of the Camaro passing before his eyes, and Bumblebee's silver face.

The sound of two engines approached, brakes squealed . He heard Ratchets' grumbling voice. "I knew we shouldn't have played him that track!"

"Sam!" That was Optimus. "Sam Witwicky , are you Ok? Please respond. Bumblebee will need you when we find him!"

"He is NOT terminated." said Ironhide, "We'd know!"

"Really?" Sam lifted his head and stretched out a hand towards the dash. Sometimes he liked to touch who he was talking to. It wasn't Bumblebee, but it felt like Ironhide responded, like a hi-five coming back. It cheered him up a bit. And then he heard a moped approaching, heard it stop and then the sound of running feet.

"Let me in! " It was Mikaela and Ironhide did on Sam's side.

Sam realised Will had put an arm over his shoulder and he took it off as Mikaela came in and jumped on to his lap, and held him. This was not only for Sam's sake, she was upset about Bee's disappearance too.

"Sam, I'm sorry about this, I'm sure he wouldn't go off unless he was deceived or taken by force."

"We think that's what happened," said Ironhide.

"It's not impossible to electronically create my voice," said Optimus Prime, "or even send a disguised signal. Bumblebee would respond quickly, then check up, it's likely. The signal we received must 've been part of the check up as it contained some co-ordinates. That's where we're going."

"Well why didn't you say so before," said Sam "Let's go!"

The convoy moved off leaving Mikaela's Vespa behind parked up. It would be safe at Sam's house.

They could not see Bumblebee from the lookout and he was not at the location.

"It must have been Starscream," Ratchet said "he could have fought off Barricade."

They found a piece of yellow bodywork and a windscreen wiper.

"It's no good said Sam. "We'll have to call the police now."

"I believe Starscream has a stun cannon" said Optimus, "Let us hope Bumblebee will be too useful to them as he is. But he might have torn off something like that out of spite."

"You're not giving up? said Sam.

"We travelled together through millions of miles of Space, said Ironhide "We ain't gonna give up now." Mikaela got out too.

"We'll find him. We have to." Ratchet said "Sam, come here!" Will also disembarked, and seeing as there was only those who knew them here, the Autobots transformed and comforted the humans as best they could. The Police put out an All Patrols Bulletin so Optimus Prime called Simmons to look at the CCTV.

After two days of looking at the Police tapes they spotted him on a road where he might end up in several places. They investigated all these places, Mikaela going off to a warehouse on her little Vespa.

Sam follwed on his bike but when he got there neither Bumblebee or Mikaela was there. He called in the other Autobots and waited till after dark. The others found no sign of her or the yellow scout.

By the next morning they realised they would have to put posters up with her photo as Mikaela was also a missing person.

Then he was spotted on a tape again, but they still had to find him and Mikaela was still missing.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 Sam's worst weekend.

Incident of international concern.

A/N Ironhide's alt. mode, the G.M.C. . Has a computer screen on the dash. You can see a similar one via the Chevrolet/G.M.C. Site.

Will turned up again outside Sam's house, this time with an army vehicle and a patrol, including Simmons, as well as Ironhide. The police had been searching the wilderness areas around and diving in the local rivers and lakes searching for a body. Luckily, they hadn't found one yet.

Ron reacted like the first time when Simmons came to his door though:

"No, you are not taking my son away again!"

"Sir, I think your son will want to come with us when he hears what I have to say."

"It's about the car? You've found it? Or Mikaela?"

"Yes. Also observe:" he pointed to the road outside, "One car: few followers, and I'm with them." He pointed to Will, Epps and some others in Uniform getting out of Ironhide and the army jeep. Then he showed an M.P. badge. "Sector 7 does not exist any more, although this badge still lets me get away with anything -or nearly- as I work for the government now, officially."

Judy and Sam joined Will at the door. Mojo barked. Different badges and uniforms did not cut any ice with him, Simmons still smelt the same, and he jumped up and bit him on the knee. Will waved, came up and quieted him and put an arm on Sam's shoulder, speaking to Judy's anxious face and ignoring Simmons hopping about, holding his leg and shouting, as it wasn't bleeding.

"I'll get him back safe for you, Ma,am," he said.

Sam rushed out, nothing stopping him this time. "You've found him? Or her?" he said.

"Yes, or rather, we had a phone call and we're tracking him."

"Come on Sam, this is a matter of National Security." said Simmons.

"You always say that, it just gives you a chance to look big," said Sam.

"This time it really is. There is a threat. Like last time. The other Autobots will be joining us." said Simmons darkly.

There was room for the 3 of them in Ironhide's cab, but Simmons swapped over with Epps so he could drive the black car.

They went out to the freeway, and were joined by the other Autobots. On the SatNav on Ironhide's dash Sam realized they were heading across the country towards Washington D.C. in a convoy. There was a G.P.S. Screen there too now and a helicopter hovered overhead. "We received a call from a foreign terrorist group." said Simmons. "involving a plane and a ransom demand for the girl. We do not give in to terrorists."

"Bumblebee would never work for foreign terrorists" said Sam.

"He might have had to if he was hurt. They might take him like any human owned car" Ratchet said over the radio.

"I have him on the radar," said Ironhide.

When the yellow Camaro came into sight, Optimus shot in front of him, and transformed, saying:

"Bumblebee, I do not want to have to fight you but I will if I have to!"

"No!" called Sam "Bumblebee what's going on?"

Ratchet joined him and they tried to block off the road, but Bumblebee found an exit. Sam tried to get out and join his friend but Bumblebee said over the com: "No, don't anyone come near me!" Will held him back. "What on Earth's wrong with him?" said Sam.

Bumblebee went up the side road to a forested area, drew up to the kerb and let off a man with a rucksack who ran off.

"What did you say to him Bee?" called Sam .

"I persuaded him in his own language there were more peaceful ways of achieving his ends. When he saw Optimus transform he just said he'd hand out leaflets and speak at college, and ran off."

"There's our man! After him!" shouted Simmons, taking off in his black car.

Bumblebee took off again too.

"He's off his head!" cried Sam.

"I think you're right, his central processors may be damaged, but not so much as he can't move, he may not be able to transform" said Ratchet.

"He's also scared," said Ironhide, "'N I know why!"

"Scared?" asked Sam "Why? There're no Decepticons around as I can see."

"Don't need to be," said Ironhide "He's scared for us. Look at my screen."

The little weather/time computer screen had turned into a thermal imaging one. It showed Bumblebee's engine parts and something else hot underneath. "He's got a bomb on board!"

"I thought we'd have to get out Greeny" said Will.

Bumblebee retreated behind a little rise.

"Huh?" said Sam.

They stopped and Will went round to the back of the army vehicle and a ramp went down, and a green/grey camouflaged robotic vehicle rolled out with a long sensor arm on it.

"Don't you let that drone come near me!" called Bumblebee.

"It's not a drone! It's remote controlled, by me and Eddy of the bomb squad here," called Will, indicating another man in uniform with a little set of controls.

"Is it going to blow me up?"

"We will try to avoid that. At least let us assess how big the explosion might be?"

"Bumblebee!" rumbled Optimus, "Let it approach, they know their stuff."

"I could assess it myself," said Bumblebee.

"That would be unwise," said Ratchet, "it might be rigged to go off if you run a diagnostic on it."

So the others set to work. They managed to remove a timer, a detonator, and finally the bomb itself. They found Mikaela tied up in the trunk, and Sam went to untie her.

"That was a close call." said Bumblebee. "If you'd be kind enough to come with me, and tell Simmons there's another one with a similar device on him downtown."

He took them to a warehouse where another car bomb was found and defused.

Ratchet repaired Bumblebee with this lasers.

"I love you Sam said Mikaela can we have another date tonight? And this time, Bumblebee can join in."

They went back to the base and had a 3-way cuddle with lots of stroking, mostly of Bumblebee, but everyone got a few pets and strokes.


End file.
